Tool orders are flat except at Intel, Nanya, Samsung
Semiconductor Business News
(01/08/03 09:03 p.m. EST)
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.--Fab-tool orders are projected to be flat in the first quarter of 2003 in spite of some new and aggressive procurement activities at Intel, Nanya, and Samsung, according to a report from U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray.
“To date, we have been projecting overall semi equipment industry orders would be about flat from Q4 2002 to Q1 2003,” according to the report. “Our analysis showed that Intel fab 24 in Ireland, continuation of aggressive spending by Samsung, growth in Japan, and smaller orders from others would support a flat order scenario.”
Another major buyer of tools is Taiwanese DRAM maker Nanya Technology Corp., which is in the midst of building a 300-mm fab with Germany's Infineon Technologies AG.
“We have recently learned that NanYa may be moving forward more aggressively on its new 300-mm DRAM fab in Taiwan, which is a joint venture with Infineon,” the report said. “The original schedule was for production in mid-2004, which reportedly may be moved up to the end of 2003,” it said.
“If this is true, then orders for the first line of production would probably fall in Q1 2003 versus our previous expectation of Q2 2003,” the report said. Given that this could be about $400-$500 million of orders to the industry, this project alone could drive Q1 2003 orders from being flat sequentially to being up at least 10%,” it added.
The Minneapolis, Minn.-based investment banking firm also projects that capital spending in the IC industry will be flat in 2003 over 2002.
Meanwhile, which tool companies will benefit at Nanya? “The two companies that we believe would benefit the most from Nanya would be Applied Materials for large cap and Asyst for small cap,” the report said.
Applied “has historically been a strong supplier to both Nanya and Infineon. This project alone should enable [Applied] to generate meaningful order growth from its January quarter to its April quarter,” it added |
